Pope Francis appears for the first time on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican March 13. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected the 266th Roman Catholic pontiff. He is the first Jesuit and first Latin American pope. CNS photo/Paul Haring

As the universal Church commemorates the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ election to the papacy March 13, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., wrote the following congratulatory message to the Holy Father on behalf of the Diocese of Trenton:

Some 30 representatives from parishes throughout the Diocese gathered Feb. 24 in St. Aloysius Parish, Jackson, for a meeting of Cohort chairmen and women. The gathering, facilitated by Msgr. Leonard F. Troiano, episcopal vicar for planning, and Terry Ginther, executive director for pastoral life and diocesan chancellor, brought the Cohort chairs and project managers together to discuss the implementation phase of Faith in Our Future, the diocesan initiative to address the challenges facing the Church of Trenton.More ...Wednesday, March 7, 2018

The bulk of Catholic education for most Catholics happens in childhood and the teen years, spanning the years of sacramental preparation. It’s easy to forget, however, that faith formation isn’t meant to end with the schoolroom.

In fact, learning about and growing in faith is something intended to continue throughout our lives – a journey toward closer and closer relationship with God and his Church.More ...Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Funeral services were held March 5 in St. Rose of Lima Chapel, Freehold, for Father Roman Modino, a priest of the Diocese, who died Feb. 28 in Morris Hall Meadows, Lawrenceville. He was 80.More ...Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Faithful filled row after row of pews the morning of March 3, settling in for a peaceful Rosary, reflection and remembrance before the sounds of pipes and drums filled Belmar’s St. Rose of Lima Church ahead of Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.

“Top of the morning,” Bishop O’Connell said in his opening remarks for the 33rd Investiture Mass, held a day before the annual Belmar-Lake Como St. Patrick’s Day Parade, proclaiming it “a great day as Bishop to celebrate in advance of St. Patrick’s Day.”

At the request of Pope Francis, parishes of the Diocese of Trenton and around the world will participate in the annual Pontifical Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land, held this year on March 30.More ...Friday, March 2, 2018

Frank DeAngelis may have illustrated his talk Feb. 13 at Georgian Court University with a slide presentation, but he never relied on notes to tell the story of Columbine High School.

He didn’t have to.

Throughout his two-and-a-half hour talk at the Lakewood institution, it was clear that DeAngelis, the principal who steered the Colorado High School community through its darkest hours, remembers every moment of the tragedy that began unfolding April 20, 1999.

“I see it every year at these events,” Christian Brother Frank Byrne, president of Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, explained. “You see guys walk in who graduated in the 70s, 80s, 2000s, not quite sure of what to say. Then in 20 minutes, they are all swapping stories just like they did back in the cafeteria at school. That is how strong the brotherhood is with CBA alumni.”

On Feb. 22, more than 100 graduates of CBA gathered in Beacon Hill Country Club, Middletown, to celebrate that brotherhood at their annual networking event.

St. Paul’s second letter to the people of Corinth, Integrity in the Ministry, stresses, “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ. But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).”More ...Friday, February 23, 2018